Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Oh, God.” My voice breaks, but I run out the door, grateful that it was chilly this morning and that I brought my car to work. I pull my phone out of my pocket as I run.
With my heart in my throat and tears threatening, I dial Holden’s number, but he doesn’t pick up. It just rings and rings, and when I get the voicemail, my voice is trembling.
“Husband, you better call me right now. RIGHT NOW!”
I toss the phone into the passenger seat and head off for the ranch, driving way faster than I should, but I know this road like the back of my hand.
I could drive it blindfolded.
And I kind of am because I’m blind with fear. Absolute terror.
What if he’s hurt? My God, what if—
“No, don’t do that,” I lecture myself and brush tears from my cheeks. “He’s fine. Everything’s fine. Deep breaths, Mill. He’s fine.”
I breathe deeply, but then I choke on a sob.
If he was okay, he’d answer his phone. Or call me back.
Why hasn’t he called me back?
I turn onto the main ranch road, and I can see the smoke. God, there’s so much smoke. This is a huge fire. And when I get closer to the old farmhouse and Holden’s old cabin, there are so many firetrucks, I can’t get through.
So, I stop the car, slam it in Park, and don’t bother to turn it off or shut the door behind me as I bust out of it and sprint to where the smoke is coming from.
There are so many people. Someone calls out, “Hey, you can’t—”
But I ignore them.
“Holden!” God, I can’t see him. I only see firefighters. So many firefighters.
“Millie.” A strong arm wraps around my waist, pulling me off my feet and stopping me just before the roof of the farmhouse caves in, and I start to scream.
“HOLDEN! HOLDEN! Oh, my God, where is my husband?”
“Millie, you have to stop—”
But then I see him. Oh, God, I see him! He’s running, sprinting, toward me, and I shake off the person holding me and run to him, jumping into his arms and wrapping myself around him as I weep.
“Oh, God. You’re okay. Oh, Jesus.”
“Hey, I’m fine. I’m right here, Rosie. I’m fine.”
He’s holding me and squeezing me, kissing my face, but I can’t stop crying. I look up in time to see men with huge, long poles pushing the outside walls of the house toward the middle, as if they’re stoking a fire.
Which, I guess they are.
And I can’t stop crying.
“I th-thought.” I swallow hard as I press my face into his neck. “Fuck, Holden.”
“Baby girl, listen to my voice.” His lips are at my ear, and he’s carrying me away from the fire. I can’t take my eyes off of it. Oh, God, what if he’d been inside? “Do you hear me? I need you to listen to me, wife.”
Wife. God, I love it when it says that word.
I give a tiny nod.
“I am safe. No one has been hurt. No one is hurt, Millie.”
“Y-you cannot be hurt,” I insist through the shudders moving through me.
“Baby. Hear my voice.” He sits on something and sets me in his lap, dragging his fingers down my cheek. “Look into my eyes, Rosie.”
I do, and it’s the first moment that I start to calm down.
“I’m right here.” His hand moves to my throat, and his thumb brushes over my jawline, but I can’t help the tears that won’t stop. “Ah, baby girl, please don’t cry.”
“You didn’t tell her?”
I frown and look over my shoulder, stunned to see Remington here. His thumbs are in the loops of his jeans, and my mouth opens, but no sound comes out, and I have to try again.
“Am I dead?” I ask.
“Don’t you ever say that again,” Holden growls into my ear.
“No, really. My brother is standing on Lexington property. You can see it, too, right? What in the alternate universe is going on here?”
“This was a planned fire, Millie,” Holden says, pulling my gaze back to his. “Bridger and his guys are using it as a training exercise, and I get to rid this ranch of the last of my father.”
“You didn’t tell me.” The words are a whisper. I’m so mad. And still in the middle of a panic attack. “I can’t breathe.”
I stand up and pace away from him, willing my lungs to fill, and then I finally look around and see that it’s not just the farmhouse that’s on fire.
The shed.
The garage.
Holden’s cabin.
All lit up in flames.
“Oh, my God.” I cover my mouth with my hands and spin back to where Holden’s standing next to Remington. “What have you done?”
“I’m exorcising the last of the ghosts. We’ll talk about the why later.” Holden crosses to me and tips my chin up so he can look me in the eye. “Just trust me.”